QuickBooks: Automated Accounting and Invoicing for SMEs

What is QuickBooks?

QuickBooks France is an accounting software developed by Intuit in 1983.

It offers a simple and powerful solution for VSEs and SMEs, freelancers and independent entrepreneurs.

Here's what you need to know:

A complete financial management platform

• Easily manage customer invoices, salaries, taxes, taxes, closures, suppliers, and revenues with QuickBooks software.
• Track your bills, sales, expenses, and more.
• Enjoy an all-in-one solution without the need to invest in additional tools.

Online and cloud access

• QuickBooks France is cloud-based, so you can access it from any device connected to the Internet.
• Enjoy the flexibility to work where you want and when you want.
• Subscribe to get access to all features and get regular updates.

Compliance with international standards

• QuickBooks France complies with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for you and your customers.
• This compliance ensures lower costs, consistency across countries, greater accountability and transparency, and greater efficiency.

QuickBooks is much more than just accounting software.

It is a complete solution that allows you to effectively manage your customers, your finances and to take control of your business as we will see in this article.

(2023 update)

History and Founders

QuickBooks is an accounting software created by Scott Cook and Tom Proulx in 1983.

It was developed Intuit, which aimed to provide financial solutions for individuals and small businesses.

QuickBooks was launched in 1984 and quickly became popular due to its ease of use and its functionalities adapted to VSEs and SMEs.

Over the years, QuickBooks software has evolved into a SaaS solution that offers increased accessibility and better collaboration with your customers.

Today, as we see in this article, it is used by millions of small businesses around the world.

Features

Here are the features that will make it easier for you to manage finances:

1. Generals

During the initial and summary setup of your business on QuickBooks Online, you can easily enter information such as business name, email address and entity type.

You also have the option of customizing the communication process with your accountant and customers by configuring advanced settings, such as fiscal year, accounting method, and income and expense tracking categories.

• Easy initial configuration of your TPE and PME for your customers
• Customizing advanced accounting settings.

2. Supplier and customer accounts

QuickBooks Online software makes it easier to manage unpaid invoices and expenses related to your suppliers or customers

You can easily view and track outstanding invoices, save new invoices, add new suppliers, record expenses without payment, and even attach and send copies of receipts.

In addition, you have the possibility to record partial payments on an invoice.

• Simplified management of unpaid customer invoices and supplier expenses.
• Recording partial payments on customer invoices

QuickBooks Online software also makes it easier to manage each customer account.

You can automatically track and calculate sales taxes, customize your invoices by choosing from various templates and adding your logo, and even combine multiple checks into a single deposit, simplifying the bank reconciliation process.

• Automatic tracking and calculation of sales taxes.
• Personalized invoicing and customer payment management.

3. Banking and cash management

With QuickBooks Online software, you can easily connect your bank accounts and credit cards for automatic transaction tracking.

The bank reconciliation feature allows you to quickly and easily reconcile your transactions with bank statements.

Additionally, the QuickBooks software mobile application allows you to deposit checks by simply taking a photo, which automatically generates a digital transaction.

• Bank connection for automatic tracking of transactions.
• Simplified bank reconciliation and mobile deposits.

4. Project accounting

QuickBooks Online allows you to track the costs and revenues associated with your projects.

You can create projects, assign revenue, expenses, and salaries to specific projects, and even create detailed estimates for more accurate project management.

• Precise monitoring of project costs and revenues.
• Creation of detailed estimates for better management.

5. Sales tax and revenue tracking

With Intuit QuickBooks Online, you can easily track and automatically calculate sales taxes to simplify your tax filings.

Additionally, you have the option of generating 1099 tax forms for independent contractors, which you can submit or mail to the IRS.

• Automatic tracking and calculation of sales taxes such as VAT Management
• Generation of 1099 tax forms for independent entrepreneurs.

6. Inventory Management

QuickBooks Online Plus and Advanced software allow you to manage your business merchandise.

You can track inventory quantities, create purchase orders, and set up reorder alerts for effective management:

• Complete management, including tracking quantities and creating purchase orders.
• Configuring replenishment alerts for optimal management

7. Reports

QuickBooks Online offers a wide range of financial reports for an in-depth analysis of your financial situation.

With this software, you can generate reports such as balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements, as well as sales reports by customer, location, or category.

• Generating detailed financial reports for in-depth analysis
• Sales reports by customer, location, or category.

8. Mobile app

The QuickBooks mobile app allows you to access many of the features of the desktop version directly from your mobile device.

You can create and send invoices, receive payments, assign expenses to each customer or project, and view financial reports, all on the go.

• Convenient access to your accounting data and services from your smartphone.
• Create and send invoices, receive payments, and track expenses while on the go.

QuickBooks Online offers advanced and user-friendly features to help you manage your accounting and billing effectively.

However, please note that the merchandise tracking feature is not as comprehensive as that of QuickBooks Desktop Premier.

Despite this, QuickBooks Online is still a powerful solution for financial and accounting management for your business.

Who is QuickBooks for?

QuickBooks Online caters to different users and types of businesses, offering specific features tailored to their needs. Here are the main markets and business segments involved:

• Small businesses : QuickBooks Online is specially designed to meet the accounting needs of small businesses, whether they are startups, retail businesses, service providers, or independent consultants.
• Individual entrepreneurs : Freelancers, freelancers, and sole traders can benefit from the ease of use of QuickBooks Online accounting and advanced billing features.
• Electronic e-commerce : QuickBooks Online is ideal for online businesses, offering them sales tracking, inventory management, accounting, and sales tax management tools that are specifically tailored to e-commerce.
• Professional services : Law firms, consulting firms, marketing agencies, and other professional services businesses can use QuickBooks Online to manage their finances, accounting, track billable hours, and generate accurate reports.
• Real estate management : QuickBooks Online offers property tracking, accounting, income, and expense features that are especially useful for property management companies.

Whether you are a small business, a sole proprietor, an e-commerce business, an e-commerce business, a professional services company, or a property management company, QuickBooks Online offers the tools you need to effectively manage your finances and simplify your accounting and billing.

Customer support

When it comes to customer support, QuickBooks is renowned for providing exceptional service. Here are some key facts about its support:

• Contact options : You can contact QuickBooks customer support via live chat or by phone.
• Availability : Customer support is available 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday.
• Login process : When accessing the QuickBooks accounting chat, you will need to provide a few details, such as your name and email address. Additionally, you will also need to provide your business ID for security reasons.
• Personalized help : Once connected to an agent, you'll get the support you need to resolve your specific issues.
• Additional resources : QuickBooks also offers a “Ask the Community” option where you can get answers and advice from the QuickBooks community.

In summary, QuickBooks software customer support is renowned for its responsiveness and efficiency, offering personalized assistance to meet your specific needs.

Whether it's via live chat, phone, or by consulting the community, you'll find the resources you need to use QuickBooks with confidence.

Integrations

Here is a list of the main categories of integrations available with the QuickBooks software, bringing together different applications and services:

1. Online payments and e-commerce platforms

• PayPal: A popular online payment solution
• Stripe: A secure and easy to integrate online payment platform.
• Square: An all-in-one payment solution with built-in point of sale features.
• Shopify: A complete e-commerce platform for creating online stores.

2. Payment and billing services

• Bill.com: An online payment and invoice management service to simplify your financial transactions.
• Veem: An international payment solution that allows fast and secure transactions.
• Melio: A payment management platform that facilitates the payment of invoices.
• Billdu: A tool for invoicing and monitoring payments

3. Management of expenses and expense reports

• Expensify: An expense management application that simplifies the tracking and reimbursement of business expenses.
• Receipt Bank: A tool for scanning and managing receipts to facilitate the entry of expenses.
• Tallie: Expense management software that automates the reimbursement process.
• AutoEntry: A data capture tool that extracts information from receipts and automatically integrates it into QuickBooks.

4. Inventory and inventory management

• TradeGecko: A merchandise and inventory management software that tracks merchandise levels, orders, and deliveries.
• Unleashed Software: An inventory management solution that provides complete visibility into merchandise, orders, and costs.

5. Bank integrations

• Bank of America: A banking integration that allows banking transactions to be synchronized with QuickBooks.
• Chase: A banking integration to connect your Chase account to QuickBooks and import transactions.

6. CRM and email tools

• Salesforce: A comprehensive CRM platform for customer relationship management and sales management.
• HubSpot: An all-in-one CRM and marketing tool for managing contacts, leads, and marketing campaigns.
• Zoho CRM: An intuitive CRM solution for managing contacts, business opportunities, and sales tracking.
• Mailchimp: An emailing and marketing automation platform for creating and sending email campaigns.

To discover the integrations available specifically for France, you can consult the official QuickBooks France website.

Security and Confidentiality

At QuickBooks, the security and privacy of your data is a top priority. Here are the steps taken to ensure the protection of your information:

1. Data Encryption : All data transmitted between your device and QuickBooks servers is encrypted using secure protocols. This ensures that your personal and financial information is kept confidential.
2. Protection against unauthorised access : QuickBooks France puts in place advanced security measures to prevent unauthorized access to your data. Firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and robust authentication protocols are in place to protect your information.
3. Regular backups : QuickBooks France backs up your data regularly to avoid any loss in the event of a technical problem or disaster.
4. Compliance with safety standards : QuickBooks France complies with the most stringent security standards in the industry. They comply with data protection regulations, such as the GDPR, to ensure the confidentiality of your information.
5. Restricted access to data : QuickBooks limits access to your data to authorized employees only. Your information is strictly confidential and is only accessible for technical support and account management purposes.

QuickBooks is committed to maintaining a secure environment for your sensitive data.

You can rest easy knowing that your financial information is being protected with the utmost care.

Please note that QuickBooks security and privacy practices are updated regularly to address new threats and to ensure that your data is protected.

Pricing

QuickBooks offers a 30-day free trial for all of their plans. Once the trial period is over, you can choose from the following options:

QuickBooks offers different pricing options to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes.

Here is an overview of current QuickBooks pricing in France.

Whether you need basic features or advanced features like inventory tracking and project management, QuickBooks has plans to suit different requirements and budgets.

1. Simple Start

• Basic accounting and billing management
• Invoicing and closing expense tracking
• Automatic bank reconciliation
• Basic financial reports

Monthly rate: 12€/month (current promotion: 6€/month for the first 12 months)

2. Essentials

• All the features of QuickBooks Simple Start
• Management of suppliers and purchase invoices
• Managing additional users

Monthly rate: 24€/month (current promotion: 12€/month for the first 12 months)

3. Plus

• All the features of QuickBooks Essentials
• Inventory tracking
• Budget Management
• Project Management

Monthly rate: 36€/month (current promotion: 18€/month for the first 12 months)

Alternatives to QuickBooks

If you're looking for alternatives to QuickBooks to manage your finances in France, here are three options to consider.

Each alternative of this software offers specific functionalities and prices adapted to different needs.

1. Sellsy

Introduction: Sellsy is an all-in-one business management solution, offering accounting, billing, sales and purchase management features, and project management tools.

Features

• Expense and income tracking
• Personalized invoicing and sending invoices by email
• Purchasing and sales management
• Customer relationship management (CRM)
• Merchandise tracking

Pricing

• Starter package: from 39€/month
• Premium package: from 79€/month
• Corporate formula: on request

Sellsy is a complete alternative to QuickBooks, offering a range of functionalities for managing your business in France.

Its CRM integration and its functionalities for tracking goods or closing accounts make it an interesting option for companies requiring complete management of their operations.

2. Zoho Books

Introduction: Zoho Books is an online accounting and billing solution tailored to small and medium-sized businesses. This software allows you to manage finances, create professional invoices, track expenses, and generate detailed financial reports.

Features

• Invoicing and payment tracking
• Expense and purchase management
• Inventory Management and Tracking
• Automatic bank reconciliation
• Detailed financial reports

Pricing

• Basic package: from €9/month
• Standard formula: from 19€/month
• Professional package: from 29€/month

Zoho Books offers an affordable and user-friendly solution for financial management for small and medium-sized businesses in France.

The advanced features of this software for invoicing, closing accounts, accounting, expenses, and inventory management make it a solid choice for every customer who needs a comprehensive accounting and invoicing solution.

3. Wave

Introduction: Wave is a free online accounting software, ideal for entrepreneurs, freelancers, accountants, and small businesses. This software offers essential accounting and billing features, with no monthly fees.

Features:

• Personalized invoicing and sending invoices by email
• Expense and income tracking
• Bank reconciliation
• Receipts management
• Basic financial reports

Pricing

• Free, with fees for advanced features like online payment processing.

Wave is an attractive alternative for small businesses, chartered accountants and entrepreneurs who are looking for a free accounting solution.

Although its functionalities are less extensive than those of the QuickBooks software in terms of accounting, it offers a solid basis for managing finances in a simple and economical way.

FAQs

Is QuickBooks good software?

Yes, QuickBooks is a quality accounting and invoicing software and for communicating with a chartered accountant and small businesses.

It has powerful features, is easy to use, affordable and professional.

Among other things, you can manage taxes, create invoices, execute payroll, track income and expenses, and analyze the profitability of projects.

Can I access QuickBooks Online offline?

You will need an Internet connection to access the QuickBooks Online software.

What is the difference between Quicken and QuickBooks?

Since these are two popular financial tools, people often draw comparisons between Quicken software and QuickBooks.

However, they don't have the same purpose.

• QuickBooks is an accounting and billing software designed for business owners, each client, or accountant.
• Quicken is a personal finance software, intended for individuals and families who want to keep track of their finances.

Final notice

As you can see in this QuickBooks Online review, it is one of the best options in terms of flexibility.

With QuickBooks, you can accept payments, track cash flow, create invoices, manage inventory, accept payments, and set budgets, among other things.

He also has a high level of adaptability, which you will notice during the configuration, when the software asks you a few questions. The main objective of this process is to adapt it to your specific needs.

Note that it customizes your dashboard in the background. Once you're done with this step, you'll notice that QuickBooks has workflows that are right for your business, regardless of your industry.

This solution has limited closing reports.

However, it should be borne in mind that its creators had the small business environment in mind when they designed it. In this sense, the document still offers a substantial amount of information to its audience.

In fact, QuickBooks offers a lot of features - you'll notice that when you test QuickBooks online. While not difficult to learn, the software requires users to spend a lot of hours getting familiar with it.

On the other hand, the functions have a lot to offer your organization once the training is complete.